People Eating 1200 a Day

pinthin87

You will have to friend me to see my diary, but you are more than welcome to look. Don't look to hard at last week since I was on vacay, but the majority of my food is not processed. Frozen meals are great when you need something quick to eat, but I agree some are not tasty and very high in sodium. Try incorporating more whole foods into your diet you will be a lot more satisfied. Hope this helps. :-)

rosenlevine

You can satisfy all your nutritional needs on 1200 calories a day -- I usually exceed my protein, fiber, and vitamin requirements -- but it really doesn't give you any wiggle room, and we all need some indulgence sometime, so if you're in this for the long haul, 1400 calories might work better for you. That said, you will find it easier to control your calories and feel well-fed if you cook from scratch. Trader Joe's (if you have one nearby) is a great source for marinades for lean meats and for whole grains. I'm completely converted to Greek yogurt; the Costco house brand is affordable and really delicious. Try it with Trader Joe's pumpkin butter -- yummy and very nutrient-dense! Homemade soup is my best friend. It's always satisfying, extremely nutritious, and you can make it in large quantities so you have a quick meal available every day for a week. It often freezes well, too. I'll see if I can make some of my recipes available. I make a pureed potato-mushroom-cauliflower soup that is great cold as well as hot (especially with a dollop of that Greek yogurt!). When you do indulge yourself, intense flavors make a little go a long way. I love Trader Joe's Triple Ginger Snaps, which seem to taste especially good when they're broken. Really good sorbet is a good bet, but my current favorite is good old Fudgsicles. 60 calories a pop!

Hayleighs_mom

I eat 1400 calories a day and I agree that it is hard, but we do not have the packaged meals. We are on a tight budget so we try and buy in bulk and as fresh as we can. Feel free to add me

mcarter99

prepackaged food is also loaded with preservatives and things you cannot pronounce that your body cannot digest.

Why does every CALORIE thread turn into a nutrition/health debate? This isn't about sodium and preservatives and there is no award for who eats the 'cleanest'. A lot of diet authorities recommend pre-packaged foods. Of course we digest preservatives.

People should really get off their high horses and show some respect for the choices of others. INCLUDING their calorie level choices.

cobaltis

This is day 2 for me counting calories. I'm sitting here eating a Michelinas Lean Gourmet & it is gross! Would some of you that have been eating 1200 calories for a while add me or direct me to your food diary so I can get some better meal ideas?
Thanks!

The best way is to cook yourself so you can control the calories that go into the food. Chicken can be extremely lean and filling when grilled so the fat drains etc, but at a restaurant they pan sear it in oil and butter and then leave it in the pan and throw it in the oven to finish cooking in the fats and oils.

I eat a lot of grilled chicken with different seasonings, ground lean turkey, and vegetables. I like turkey meatloaf, turkey burgers, or ground turkey on a salad.

You can see my diary (should ignore this last weekend hah) But you will notice i keep things very simple as I cook 2 or 3 things on sundays and eat it all week, and my lunch is always a chicken and spinach salad with no dressing...

Mrsbrandnewmeslimandtrim

:drinker:

amytag

My diary is open to the public and I consume around 1200 per day (my goal is set to 1340 but I find that 1200 is avg for me).

PurrfumeGIrl

I have found that logging what you eat before you eat it can help. It allows me to really see what I'm about to do. If I don't like the cal or fat or protein # it's easier to adjust before I've eaten then trying to make up for it later. Then I adjust portions or sub veggies or fruit for something to get the meal in the nutritional range that I was striving for.

I do this... I feel like it holds me accountable for what I'm about to eat. I don't venture off it either. My only problem is that I'm still a sugar fiend to some extent. Working on that though. Learning the difference between natural sugar (fruits) and sugary foods.

karlichelle18

Wow.....at least i'm not on my angry horse. i made a simple suggestion. you're blasting my choices. chill, crazy.

prepackaged food is also loaded with preservatives and things you cannot pronounce that your body cannot digest.

Why does every CALORIE thread turn into a nutrition/health debate? This isn't about sodium and preservatives and there is no award for who eats the 'cleanest'. A lot of diet authorities recommend pre-packaged foods. Of course we digest preservatives.

People should really get off their high horses and show some respect for the choices of others. INCLUDING their calorie level choices.

Mom_To_5

feel free to add my and look at my diary

misskittygirl

Feel free to add me to your list and you can take a look at my diary. 1200 isn't really easy but there are lots of options. I usually go over, but that's because I workout. I don't eat those Michelinas...I eat Lean Cuisine, and ALWAYS a big bowl of lettuce/salad with it.

This is day 2 for me counting calories. I'm sitting here eating a Michelinas Lean Gourmet & it is gross! Would some of you that have been eating 1200 calories for a while add me or direct me to your food diary so I can get some better meal ideas?
Thanks!

mbcan316

You don't have to eat prepackaged food.

Look for example:
- 4 oz chicken breast is 120 calories. If you put some lemon pepper or w/e herbs and grill, that's pretty low.
- 1/2 cup of brown rice is about 80 calories
- vegetables (if you're into that) has to be low
- get those low cal salad dressings that are like 35 cals/tbsp

- sirloin 4 oz is about 211 calories
- medium potato is about 161
- ff sour cream is about 30 cals per 2 tbsp
- wedge of that Laughing Cow low fat cheese is about 35 cals
- broccoli should be pretty low

you can always get recipes, break them down into ingredients and make it work to your calorie advantage.

This! Prepackaged food will almost always be more calories and less tasty than food you can cook yourself.

TRUE!! And prepackaged foods typically have A LOT of sodium, which just makes you retain water weight... You can add me if you want, although many days I go over & some days I'm under. LOL

xSinfulUndeadx

Hey, I'm bri ad I'm on the same 1200 carbs a day diet too. This is my first day. I've never really counted calories before so this is new to me. Does anyone have any recipes for low calorie easy to make healthy meals that taste good?

kayemme

prepackaged food is also loaded with preservatives and things you cannot pronounce that your body cannot digest.

Why does every CALORIE thread turn into a nutrition/health debate? This isn't about sodium and preservatives and there is no award for who eats the 'cleanest'. A lot of diet authorities recommend pre-packaged foods. Of course we digest preservatives.

People should really get off their high horses and show some respect for the choices of others. INCLUDING their calorie level choices.

in this case, the argument is totally relevant: prepackaged foods rely on high salt, fats or reduction of fiber in effort to maintain shelf stability.

one will find that if he avoids prepackaged foods as often as he can, that 1200-1500 calories is more than enough food for a day. that's all.

Steph1576

Thanks again for all your responses & advice. I'm actually making my grocery list now using all the ideas here:)
For everyone saying 1200 calories isn't enough, it may not be & I will make adjustments after a few weeks if that number isn't working for me. Especially as I get back into shape and do more strength training, etc.. I will be upping my calories.

jaimealison

Definitely add me and check out my food diary I have been eating 1200 calories since I started with my fitness pal!

Timalein

My husband and I love Kashi & Amy's frozen meals. I pick them up at super Target when they are not on sale at other locations.

tawny9753

I like to stay around 1200-1300 calories during the week so I can eat a little more on a night out or weekend party without stalling my weight loss. You get the psychological benefits of eating foods you love (within reason) while maintaining weight loss. This is better in my opinion than having a set goal every single day, it's not achievable for most people and difficult to maintain for long periods. Life happens and anything too restrictive will eventually fail.

If my BMR (cals needed just to stay alive) is 1623 thus making my sedentary life require 1947 (see links at bottom) then:

Sedentary BMR for 7 days: 13,629 cals

Sunday - Friday: 1,250 avg per day (7,500 cals total)
Saturday (one day off per week): 2,600 cals
Total Cals: 10,100
Fat Loss: ~ 1 pound per week (3,500 calorie deficit)

I also eat back my exercise calories because going any lower in net cals would not be healthy in my opinion. So I tend to eat around 1500 on weekdays since I exercise for about an hour. Another option I've done is to bank exercise cals during the week for a real splurge on the weekends. As long as your net cals for the entire week average over 1200 cals a day your body can handle it. It is very good at homeostasis and variation over a week doesn't hurt.

A final option is to fast one day a week or maybe every other week. Thus the rest of the week can have higher cals since the day of fasting gives you extra cals to spread around on the other days. See theiflife.com, but once again make sure your average daily cals over the week is over 1200, it just allows you more flexibility.

Sedentary BMR for 7 days: 13,629 cals

Monday - Friday: 1,250 avg per day (6,250 cals total)
Saturday (one free day per week): 3,850 cals
Sunday (one fast day per week): 0 cals
Total Cals: 10,100
Fat Loss: ~ 1 pound per week (3,500 calorie deficit)

OR

Monday - Saturday: 1,500 avg per day (7,500 cals total)
Saturday (one free day per week): 2,600 cals
Sunday (one fast day per week): 0 cals
Total Cals: 10,100
Fat Loss: ~ 1 pound per week (3,500 calorie deficit)

As I lose more weight and I need less cals to stay alive I will gradually lose less than a pound a week. I've lost weight fast and it always comes back with its friends in tow. This time I'm determined to make a lifestyle change. Never diet or starve again! I can sustain eating lower calories and healthy foods most of the time with a meal or day off every now and again. Even if I get down to losing just a pound or two a month that is preferable to being unhealthy or gaining weight. Maintaining is ALWAYS better than gaining, no matter where you're at.


BMR Calculator: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/
Lifestyle BMR Calc: http://www.bmi-calculator.net/bmr-calculator/harris-benedict-equation/
Fasting & Refeeding: www.theiflife.com

SuMcP

I started out on 1200 net a day then plateaued a few months in - I was advised to go up to 14-1500 a day, which although counter-intuitive and scary at the time has worked and is still working :-) My diary is open to friends, so if you want to ping me a friend request you will be able to see what goes on in my world :flowerforyou:

Emmarogers2008

HI All
My biggest tip is weigh your food before you cook it! This has been one of the single biggest factors for me in changing what I do. You inevitably underestimate what you eat otherwise. I'm talking about meat, pasta, rice and potatoes in particular.
Do eat your exercise calories back as much as you can, If you think 1200 isn't a lot than walk/use an exercise bike. I've lost just shy of 2 stone have lost inches off hips, thighs etc but diet wise I'm eating largely what I want but menu planning so I can treat myself when I need to. I make home-made pizzas rather than buying shop bought and avoid pre packed 'slimming' foods like the plague!

I agree i weigh everything and manage to sustain a 1200 diet without feeling hungry. i choose to eat 3 main meals and small fruit snacks to fill the gaps.